Thanksgiving shoppers take a bite out of Black Friday

By 11 a.m. on Friday, Bill Snell and his son Braden were catching a break from shopping, enjoying the plush chairs placed outside the Macy's store at City Creek Center.

Inside, Susan Snell was hunting for deals.

The Snell men said they had been at Macy's for about half an hour. They figured they'd be there for at least 30 minutes more.

"I don't think either of us are much into it, so we're just here to accompany," Braden Snell said.

The frenzy seemed to go out of crowds in downtown Salt Lake City on Thanksgiving Day, leaving shoppers like the Snells to relax a bit the day after the holiday. Normally a retail extravaganza, Bill Snell said, the Black Friday crush dissipated a bit early this year.

"I think there's less," he said. "It feels like it's less to me."

An estimated 140 million Americans will shop over Thanksgiving weekend, according to an annual survey conducted by the Nation Retail Federation. That figure is largely in keeping with last year's estimate. But many bargain hunters in Salt Lake City said that online sales and earlier opening hours had taken a bite out of Friday's crowds.

"It's more spread out," Robert Hansen said. "The people that really want to get into it go Thursday night now and the rest of us can handle it in the morning."

At Target in Salt Lake City, first-time Black Friday shopper Peggy Fishburn said she was surprised by the relative calm.

"I thought it would be more crowded," she said. "I don't know where all the people are."

Target opened Thursday night at 6 and remained open throughout the night, said John Persons, one of the store's managers.

Persons said the crowds tend to come in waves — a first rush when the doors open Thursday night followed by another spike in traffic Friday morning when more relaxed shoppers wake up and head outside.

"We've been busy as far as sales go, but it's less hectic and more organized," Person said. "I think the early opening made it a little bit easier since people could shop as they want to instead of having to all be here at one time."

Even with Thursday openings cutting into Friday's traditional dominance, few shelves had been picked clean by the morning.

Gretchen Hansen said she had been looking for a specific toy truck and found one at Target.

"It's gone everywhere and everywhere online," she said. "There were two here, so that was a deal."

At Wal-Mart, Kristi Norden said she had intentionally tried to miss the crowds by shopping Friday morning and was pleased to find most of the items on her list.

"I came a little later hoping to miss it," she said. "I'm surprised that everything they had sold out of online they have here."

Norden said she regularly shops on Black Friday. But unlike many who get a head start on their Christmas shopping, she said she was out looking for deals on the things she needs.

"They're not for other people," she said. "I just get a few things. My list is usually pretty small."

At the Tanger Outlets in Park City, shoppers found a line of cars waiting to enter the mall's parking lots.

General Manager Candice Wilson said deputies from the Summit County Sheriff's Office were assisting with traffic control and the number of cars had not yet become an issue.

"The early morning wasn't too busy, but after 8 (a.m.) it did pick up," she said. "It's been smooth, just a lot of people coming in to find parking."

In a statement released Friday, National Retail Foundation President Matthew Shay said shoppers should remember that the holiday season is a marathon, not a sprint. Americans are expected to spend $616 billion this holiday season and Shay said shoppers should make retailers work to provide the right price, value and convenience.

"Reports of record-breaking online sales and store crowds point to a more confident and savvy holiday shopper who knows when, where and how to take advantage of all the promotions retailers are offering," he said.

bwood@sltrib.com